Book picks similar to
The Gandy Dancer by Jeff Andrews


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historical-fiction
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Precious Things: Some things are worth killing for.


Marie Reyes - 2021
    

Nemesis


L.J. Martin - 2011
    This wild and wooly western, in the Louis L'amore tradition, comes from renowned author L. J. Martin, whose over 20 novels have brought compelling reading to so many. McBain, broken and beaten from the Civil war, is reluctant to return to his family, as a snake dwells in his belly and he can't get the images out of his mind...until he learns his sister and her family have been murdered. Then it's retribution time.

Winner Lose All


William F. Brown - 2013
    The Americans, the Russians, and the British know the future belongs to whomever can grab Hitler’s new rockets, jet fighters, and ‘wonder weapons,’ because they will shape the balance of world power for decades to come. Old enemies are tomorrow’s allies, old friends can no longer be trusted, and lies and double-dealing are the norm in this spy vs spy thriller. Caught in the cross-fire is the torrid but impossible romance between Ed Scanlon, a brilliant American OSS agent and Hanni Steiner, the gritty, street-smart leader of the communist resistance cell in Leipzig. They find themselves on opposite ends of a tug of war over the plans for Germany’s revolutionary Me-262 jet fighter that is now sweeping the skies of American B-17s. To succeed, Ed and Hanni must not only outwit each other, they must stay one-step ahead of Otto Dietrich, the sadistic Gestapo Chief of Leipzig, who has plans of his own for the jet fighter plans, and Scanlon’s perfidious British handlers who suddenly have an agenda of their own. The stakes could not be higher. Driven by the uncompromising dictates of Josef Stalin, Lavrenti Beria, Allen Dulles, Heinrich Himmler, and Winston Churchill, they must succeed or die, and the winner will indeed lose all. Combining the best of World War II historical fiction, action adventure, and romance, this fast-paced spy thriller will resonate.From an author with over 500 Five-Star Ratings, if you like Aim True, My Brothers, you will like Burke's Gamble, Burke's War, and The Undertaker, my contemporary suspense novels; or Amongst My Enemies, Winner Lose All, and Thursday at Noon, my Cold War trilogy of spy vs. spy espionage thrillers. Pick-up a copy here or on their Kindle Pages!

The Third Son


Elise Marion - 2011
    Rogue. Scoundrel. Each of these words has been used to describe Damien Largess, youngest prince of Cardenas. But when he steps into a glittering ballroom on the night of his twenty-fifth birthday, the roguish young prince’s life will be forever changed. Beautiful. Graceful. Sensual. When Esmeralda steps into king’s ballroom to perform for the prince’s twenty-fifth birthday, every eye in the room is upon her. One pair of eyes intrigues her most of all … those of Prince Damien, seeming to stare straight through to her soul. The two know nothing can ever come of their love; he is a prince, and she a Gypsy dancer. Yet, neither can seem to resist the passion that sparks when they are together, or the unmistakable call of destiny forcing their lives onto the same path. However, love is not the only thing destiny has in store … With a deadly plot against the royal family surrounding him in danger and intrigue, Damien will face a decision he never thought he would have to make. Will he step up to claim a responsibility that should never have fallen to the third son? Or will he abandon it to risk all for love? Kings of Cardenas Series Reading Order The Third Son The Second Son The Lady Knights of Barony Gypsy Rose The Gypsy The Mistress (Bonus Novella) Interview with the Author Q: So, what makes the Kings of Cardenas series special? A: I’ve always been a romance reader, but the historical sub-genre has always been my first love. There’s something about the decadence and beauty of it that just enraptures me. So when I got the idea for The Third Son, I kept that opulence foremost in my mind. I knew that this kind of story couldn’t take place in an actual country and end the way I wanted it to, so I created my own fantasy kingdom. I love that element of it because it gave me freedom to make my own rules about the society that these characters live in. The cool part, I think, is that even though it has that fantasy aspect of being set in a made-up kingdom, it still has the familiarity of historical romance and the elements we all love: balls and masquerades, secret intrigues, and of course the fashion! I also think it’s special because of how unpredictable it is. The twists and turns incorporate elements of suspense and mystery along with the romance, and I loved crafting a multi-dimensional story using those elements. Q: Why should readers give these books a try? A: I think anyone who appreciates a good, meaty plot along with their romance will truly enjoy the series. While these stories are about love and romance, there are also elements of loss, intrigue, betrayal, and the dynamic of family weaving them all together. If you love mystery, suspense, and action woven through your romance, you’ll love the Kings of Cardenas series. Q: How many books will be in the complete series? A: The complete series is comprised of 6 books: 5 novels and 1 novella. While the series has been concluded, I do have plans for a spin-off series entitled Sons of Cardenas. The first book of that series might release in 2016.

Harmless


Ernie Lindsey - 2013
    When the would-be love of his life turns up dead, all signs point to Steve.Once the detectives hit a dead end in their investigation and he becomes the prime suspect, Steve is left with only a reluctant police officer and a crooked private investigator to help him prove his innocence. Could a kindhearted homeless woman and a cryptic note in Kerry's diary provide the key to the mystery?

The Art Of Falling Apart


Mark Dawson - 2001
    Then one of them dies, an apparent accident, and there begins to unravel a chilling saga of petty emotions, cynical manipulation, and murderously ruthless self-interest.

Angel


Mary E. Kingsley - 2011
    When her father, Calvin, telephones out of the blue one evening and says he’s coming home for Thanksgiving, Angel thinks her dream of having a normal family is finally going to come true. Instead, she finds herself at the center of a dangerous scenario, threatened by secrets far beyond her understanding.Set in a small Appalachian town in the early 1970’s, Angel is the compelling story of an innocent girl as the unwitting link between the two generations of her family’s dark and unresolved past.

A Million Tears


Paul Henke - 1998
    For the enterprising immigrant - a land of optimism and hope. From the hardship and poverty of Wales in 1890, this is the story of the Griffiths family and their journey to succeed in the new country. Henke describes the excitement of the pioneers in the early twentieth century. A tale of intrigue and adventure - the characters come to life against the backdrop of the time. You will not want to put this book down.A Million Tears is a mighty epic, a tale of love and hate, murder and suicide, poverty and wealth – this is a story of a family whose devotion for each other helps them to succeed where others fail.

An Undeniable Rogue


Annette Blair - 2002
    What she needs is a husband, and she knows well enough that romance and matrimony aren't always compatible. While providing for her twins and the child she now carries is paramount, wedding a virtual stranger—even a wealthy one, like Gideon St. Goddard, Duke of Stanthorpe—is no light matter.Sabrina knows the friend who arranged the union would not promise her to a true scoundrel, but one look at her future husband convinces her that he is a shameless rogue. A shockingly handsome and desirable one, at that. Why has he agreed to marry her? When Gideon flashes that wicked, seductive smile, the reason hardly matters, but the chance that he'll steal her heart becomes all too real...

Vengeance


Vanessa Kier - 2013
    Vengeance. She vows revenge on the men behind the attack, including her once beloved older brother, Kai. But Kai has disappeared with a microchip containing data on a top-secret government research program.Ten years ago, undercover agent Niko Andros sent a vicious Mexican crime lord to prison. Now the man has been released and he's kidnapped Niko's aunt. The price for his aunt's freedom is Kai and the microchip. Niko will do anything to save his aunt―including using Jenna as bait.As Niko dives back into the deadly criminal underground he'd barely escaped, Jenna discovers she's not as tough as she thinks. Teamed up to find her brother, Niko and Jenna fight to survive in a dangerous world of lies, betrayal, and hidden agendas. Only love can save them...if they'll let it.

A Man Overboard


Shawn Hopkins - 2012
    content rating: some mild language

Convergence


Thomas Settimi - 2007
    But for the men on the ground below they were a puzzlement. And no wonder: the year was 1863 and the men were Confederate soldiers marching toward the most significant battle of the American Civil War.Thousands of miles away and 105 years later, Navy pilot Nathaniel Booth and his navigator complete their air mission over Laos and are headed back to the deck of the USS Enterprise when their aircraft mysteriously vanishes. Our hero Booth is declared Missing In Action. Years later when Rose Booth, the family matriarch, learns that her son may not have been a casualty of the war as previously believed, she enlists a prominent history professor and his protégé to uncover the truth.In this carefully researched historical novel with a cosmic twist, the author traces the convoluted struggle to weave together the threads of a lost airman's life and bring solace to a grief-stricken mother. 352 pages, 88,000 words, 73 Chapters.

Breaking Twig


Deborah Epperson - 2011
    Not even Twig’s vivid imagination, keen wit, and dark sense of humor is enough to help her survive the escalating assaults of Helen and a new stepbrother, but help comes from an unexpected source—Frank, her stepfather. Sometimes, having one person who loves and believes in you is all a girl needs to keep hope alive. Often raw and irreverent and sprinkled with all the Southern flavoring found in a good bowl of chicken and dumplings, BREAKING TWIG, is about finding love where we least expect it, destroying lives with easy lies, and realizing each of us determine our own truth. (Taken from author's website.)

No Mercy


John Gilstrap - 2009
    Jonathan Grave, covert rescue specialist, always gets results. No names. No feds. No trace evidence.When an Indiana college student is abducted, Jonathan and his team of ace operatives unravel a deadly scheme the government wants ignored. Someone wants to control a devastating secret. Someone rich, powerful, and willing to kill anyone to get it. Even the people Jonathan loves most.

Superbia


Bernard Schaffer - 2012
     After Frank O'Ryan gets shot, his first assignment is working with the most disliked man in his police department, Detective Vic Ajax. Ajax isn't like the other cops. He doesn't like them and they don't like him. He hunts drug dealers and pedophiles. Now, Frank will enter a world where being real police means laying so much of your soul on the line, you might not make it out. But as Vic explains, if it keeps a little girl from having to testify about what some monster did to her, it's worth it. Together, they'll resort to any means necessary to take down the scumbags, even if it means employing the interrogative services of a man in a six-foot bunny costume called The Truth Rabbit. Readers the world over have called Superbia's author the 21st Century Ed McBain novel and the successor to Joseph Wambaugh. Both a best-selling author and career police officer, Bernard Schaffer's experience in patrol, narcotics, and investigations has filled the pages with a degree of accuracy and bold, raw, truth that cannot be found in any other work of literature. Often compared to The Wire, the Superbia books have been called the "Most subversive" account of law enforcement since Serpico.